The World Baseball Classic is getting mixed reviews among some sports fans, but it has a couple of huge backers in the Crunch locker room.

Tyler Kolarik and Mike Ayers claim to be seriously interested in that competition. Ayers, in fact, was headed out to a public appearance on Tuesday afternoon but had to be assured he'd be done by the time the U.S. squad played later in the day.

When Syracuse vice president Jim Sarosy told Ayers that some players have taken batting practice with the SkyChiefs, Ayers' eyes got as big as pucks. Ayers, a former second baseman, claims to have more than warning track power and wants to give it a shot.

"That'd be unbelievable. I better do well, though,'' he said. "I've got to practice. I've got to find a batting cage around here.''

Kolarik, a former baseball player himself, predicted that he'd be the one to put on a batting practice show, at least compared to Ayers.